The present invention relates to retaining walls for earthen formations and, more particularly, is directed to a cap for such a wall to provide for selective adjustment of the elevation and inclination of the upper edge of the wall and a forming surface against which a cementitious material may be formed to one side of the wall.
My prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,051,570; 4,068,482; and prior U.S. Application Ser. No. 966,119, filed Dec. 4, 1978, disclose retaining walls of the type with which the present invention is concerned. U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,570 is particularly significant in that it discloses a bridge abutment wherein precast stretchers are topped with cap elements and a cementitious roadway is poured between the cap elements. The cap elements in this patent, however, are secured directly against the stretchers therebeneath and no provision is made for selectively adjusting the elevational inclinaton of the cap elements relative to the stretchers.
Another patent showing retention walls of the type with which precast cap elements have been used in U.S. Pat. No. 3,686,873 to Vidal. The cap elements used with walls of the type disclosed in this patent have provided forming surfaces against which cementitious material may be poured and have also been provided with skirt elements to span any space between the elements and the top of the retaining wall. Such cap elements rest in place and are anchored by extensions fixed to the elements and embedded into the cementitious material cast thereagainst.